Combined table and chair.



AQW. MACON.

COMBINED TABLE AND CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-15 19l5.

. Patented June 20; 1916.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON D c serving as a table top or ALEXANDER W. MACON, OF DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO VIRGIL O. ROSSER, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND HARRY '.D. MARTIN, 0F SHELBYVILLE, KENTUCKY.

COMBINED TABLE AND CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Patented June 20, 1916.

Application filed December 15, 1915. Serial No. 67,039.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AIEXANDER W. MA- CON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Combined Tables and Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined chair and table,-and the primary object of the invention is to provide an organization com-' prising support means and a shiftable member having such association with the support means that it may be arranged to form a chair back or a table top, and in either arrangement the shiftable member is given a stable retention by particular structural features which will be more fully herein after specified.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined chair and table wherein the parts are comparatively simple in construction and operation as well as strong and durable.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved device showing the same arranged as a table in full lines, and as a chair in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a detail section taken through a portion of the chair seat or bottom and showing a part of one side and also a portion of one bracket which is secured to the shiftable member chair back, the bracket being illustrated in different positions in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a detail cross-section taken in the plane of the line 3-3, Fig. 1. Fig. t is a detail perspective view of one of the pivot or fulcrum bolts.

The improved combined chair and table may be said to comprise a supportingmeans and a shiftcble member, the supporting means embodying corner posts 5 having a bottom or seat 6 secured to intermediate portions position so that the posts provide legs below the bottom or seat 6 and arm uprights above the said bottom or seat. The bottom or seat 6 has its corners engaging the inner portions of the posts 5, and in one side a drawer 7 is provided in the bottom or seat thereof and disposed in horizontalfor convenience in holding reading matter or other devices as may be desired. The bottom or seat at the front and rear and adjacent to the posts have rubber buffers 7 secured thereto for a purpose which will be more fully hereinafter explained. On the upper ends of the posts 5 flat rails or arm rests 8 are secured, the inner edges of the said rails or arm rests being approximately coincident with the inner surfaces of the posts so as to avoid interior projections. The rails or arm rests 8 are strengthened as to their application to the upper ends of the posts by outer brackets 9, and it will be understood thatthe rails or arm rests 8 also unite or tie the upper ends of the posts and thereby give the latter a rigid and strong association. Beneath the rails or arm rests 8 braces 10 are secured to the posts, one at each side at a predetermined elevation above the upper surface of the bottom or seat 6, and in the center of each brace 10 a square opening 11 is formed, as shown by Fig. 3, to receive the squared shank 12 of a fulcrum bolt which has an outer convex head 13 and an inner circular screw-threaded terminal 14 projecting inwardly from the brace. Between the shank 12 and the screw-threaded terminal 14 of the bolt the latter is reduced in thickness, as at 15, and is provided with two flat sides 16. i The vinner screwthreaded terminal 14: of the'bolt is adapted to receive a; suitable nut 17 whereby the same may be tightened or secured against accidental disengagement relatively to the brace. Each bolt is grooved to form the re duced portion 15 thereof, and this reduced portion may be said to serve as a guide and retention member for a purpose which will be more fully hereinafter explained. The bottom or seat 6 at opposite sides has pairs of alined sockets 18 having metal linings 19 which are flush with the top surface of the bottom seat.

The support or supporting means as thus described may constitute either the body of the chair or the pedestal for the table, and it is proposed to modify the dimensions and general details of construction thereof as may be found necessary to best adapt the features of the invention thereto. 1

The shiftable member comprises a flat plate 20, preferably of wood, and having suitable ornamental curved ends and parallel side edges 21. This plate 20 is of such length that when it is disposed as a table top it will project beyond the opposite ends of the rails or arm rests 8, and as these rails or arm rests have a maximum length relatively to the remaining parts of the support,

or supporting means the said plate will project at its ends beyond the support and thereby give a considerable table top expanse when arranged in position over the support as a table member. The plate 20 has two brackets 22 that may be secured to either side thereof and projected therefrom in parallel planes, said brackets embodying securing arms 23 which are suitably fastened to the plate, and the opposite ends of the bracketsare each provided with a pair of divergent legs 24-, the intermediate portion of the bracket being reduced as at 25 and having a slot 26 extending longitudinally thereof and terminating at a point adjacent to the legs 24 in an approximately circular opening 27. WVh'en these brackets are made of wood the slots 26 and the circular openings 27 are lined with metal, as at 26 to prevent wear on the walls of the slots and openings. The width of each of the slots 26 is slightly greater than the thickness of the guide or retention member of each bolt embodying the flat sides 16. The brackets 22 are a distance apart approximately equal to the distance between the inner sides of the braces 10 and of the rails or arm rests 8 so that said brackets may be inserted and freely operate between the braces rails or arm rests. The length of the brackets 22 is also greater than the distance between the upper surface of the bottom or seat 6 and the upper surfaces of the rails or arm rests 8 so that when the plate 20 with the brackets 22 is arranged to serve as a table top, or is disposed in horizontal position, the said plate will be held at an elevation above the rails or arm rests 8 and thereby give the plate 20 an elevation practicable for service as a table top and without tendency to marring or in any wise injuring the rails or arm rests 8.

In assembling the sh'iftable member comprising the plate 20 and the brackets 22 with the support or supporting means embodying the bottom or seat 6, the rails or arm rests 8 and the braces 10, together with the posts 5,

the said brackets are inserted between the rails or arm rests and braces so that the openings 27 at the terminals of the slots 26 will be in alinement with the openings 11 in the braces 10 and the bolts are then inserted through the braces and the openings 27, the squared shanks 12 of the bolts resting in the correspondingly shaped openings 11 of the braces and the guides or retention members engaging the openings 27 and the screw-threaded circular terminals 14 projecting at the inner sides of the brackets.

The plate 20 with its brackets 22 is then permitted to gravitate or lower when the guides or retention members of the bolts between the squared shanks 12 and the circular screw-threaded terminals 14 will move in theslots 26 and the legs 24: when fully down will engage the metal lined sockets 18 of the bottom or seat 6, and at such time the guides or retention members will be close to the upper terminals of the said slots 26. The nuts 17 are then applied and the bolts secured against accidental disengagement and the improved devicewill then be ready for operation or use either as a chair or as a table. I, p

The practicability of the improved device as hereinbefore explained is largely dependent upon the shape of the bolts connecting the shiftable member and the support or supporting means as explained, to gether with the shape of theslots 26 and the terminal openings 27. In converting the improved device from a table into a chair the plate 20 with the brackets 22 is drawn upwardly until the openings 27 engage the flattened portions of the bolts or the guides or retention members of the latter, when the brackets may be s'wung on said flattened portions of the bolts as fulcrums and the plate 20 turned back and downwardly until it assumes the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The bolts within the approximately circular openings 27 form axes, and the slots, being narrow, cannot be engaged by the bolts except when the brackets are vertically held; and when the plate is once started rotating downwardly or tilted from the perpendicular the bolts as retaining members in the openings 27 hold the plate away from the ends of the top rails and prevent marr'ing of the ends of said rails and the side of the plate nearest or adjacent to the rails without requiring an operator to further lift the plate upwardly or outwardly. When the lowering movement is completed the brackets will project forwardly between the braces 10 and the top rails or arm rests 8, and said brackets will engage and bear upon the rubber buffers 7 a and prevent the lower end'of the plate from striking the lower portions of rear posts 5, and marring of the legs and end of the plate will thus be avoided.

In lifting or elevating the plate 20 and the brackets 22 to produce a chair as just explained, the legs 24 are disengaged from the sockets 18, and when the openings 27 are elevated for engagement by the flattened portions or guides or retention members of the bolts the brackets are clear for swinging movement. In converting the device into a table the plate 20 is swung upwardly and over the top rails or arm rests 8 while the openings 27 are engaged by the flattened portions or retention members of the bolt, and when the brackets 22 have assumed perpendicular positions the slots 26 will be in registration with the flattened portions of the bolts and the plate 20 and the brackets will then be free to drop or gravitate and will continue to move downwardly until the legs 24 are fully seated in the sockets 18. When the flattened portions of the bolts engage the slots 26 it will be understood that the plate 20 and the brackets will be held against swinging movement either rearwardly or forwardly and the legs 24 engaging the sockets 18 will prevent the plate 20 and brackets 22 from having sideWise movement between the braces 10 and rails or arm rests 8, and the engagement .of the legs 2& with the sockets will also stabilize the plate 20 when disposed in position for use as a table top. It will be seen that the support for the table top is the bottom or seat 6 and by such arrangement the device will be reinforced.

The shiftable member including the plate 20 may be so operated as to swing the said plate over either pair of ends of the upper rails or arm rests 8 for the reason that the brackets 22 are attached to the centers of the braces 10 and a particular movement of the shiftable member in one direction only is not required. Another advantage of this movement of the shiftable member in either direction, or'forwardly or backwardly rela tively to the support or supporting means, is that when it is desired to use the device as a chair the position of the plate 20, which serves as the back of the chair when lowered, may be changed without shifting the position of the entire device and whereby an occupant may face in either one of two directions, which in many instances will be found exceptionally convenient.

It is proposed to make all the parts of the chair either of wood or partly of wood and metal. The brackets may in some instances be made of metal; it is preferable, however, that wood be used on account of its rigidity and light weight.

What is claimed is:

1. In a combined chair and table of the class specified, a supporting means having'a seat and side members, and a shiftable member embodying a flat component with brackets having slidable pivotal connection with relation to said side members, portions of the bracket terminals engaging and held by the said seat in one operative position of said shiftable member.

2. Ina combined chair and table of the class specified, supporting means having a seat with pairs of sockets at opposite sides, and a shiftable member embodying a flat component with brackets extending therefrom and having slidable pivotal connection with relation to opposite portions of the supportingmeans, free terminals of the brackets engaging said pairs of sockets of the seat in one operative position of said shiftable member.

3. In a combined chair and table of the class specified, supporting means having a seat, a shiftable member embodying a flat component with fixed brackets extending therefrom provided with longitudinal slots terminating in larger openings, and bolts held against rotation in opposite side portionsof the supporting means above the seat and formed with flattened members retained in movable engagement with the bracket slots and openings of the brackets to permit sliding and rotating movements of the shift able member.

4:. In a combined chair and table of the class specified, supporting means having a seat with pairs of sockets at opposite sides, a shiftable member embodying a flat component with fixed brackets extending therefrom and provided with longitudinal slots terminating in larger openings, and bolts held against rotation in opposite side portions of the supporting means above the seat and formed with flattened members retained in movable engagement with the said bracket slots and openings to permit sliding and rotating movements of the shiftable member, the free ends of the brackets engaging the seat sockets when the shiftable member is arranged as a table top.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ALEXANDER W. MACON.

Witnesses:

MARIE E. FLYNN, MARGARET FLYNN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

